The Ferrari F310B driven by Michael Schumacher and Eddie Irvine, one of the most iconic Formula 1 cars, will sell at RM Auctions on November 21 in Manhattan.
 The car first appeared in the Australian Grand Prix in 1997, and went on to win five races that season |
The instantly recognisable car, which first appeared at the 1997 Australian Grand Prix, will sell as part of the Art of the Automobile sale. The auction, held in conjunction with Sotheby's, will "celebrate the motor car and its place in the history of design."
The F310B went on to secure Ferrari's first win of the season at the Monaco Grand Prix. Author Peter Lyons described the victory:
"Michael Schumacher's needle-nosed F310 B, screaming through the rainy streets of Monaco, a glistening crimson nucleus amidst a comet of silvery spray; Ferrari's first Grand Prix victory this year (1997) was a work of art."
By the end of the season, the car had gained 102 points in total, and secured pole positions in Canada, France and Hungary, with wins at Monaco, Canada, France, Belgium and Japan, as well as the fastest lap in Britain.
 The engine is a refined version of that which had appeared in the earlier F310 |
The single-seat racer - chassis 179 - is the eighth of nine built, and the first of two lighter-spec examples that were equipped with a higher fuel capacity than the first models. It features the 730 HP, 3.0 litre V-10 engine that premiered in the F310, though the F310B's has been further refined and developed.
It first appeared with Michael Schumacher behind the wheel in the Begian Grand Prix, but Schumacher was more accustomed to the heavier set up and soon reverted to the older spec.
Eddie Irvine drove chassis 179 at the Italian Grand Prix, qualifying in 10th and finished 8th overall, and again at the Austrian Grand Prix, where he qualified in 8th but failed to finish.
The car left Ferrari's stable in 1999 and has since belonged to a small group of prominent collectors. It has been raced at several events, and is a frequent sight at Ferrari's exclusive F1 Clienti events.
Furthermore, the F310B has achieved Ferrari Classiche certification, which indicates that it is as factory correct as it was when first campaigned in 1997.
The F1-2000 that Schumacher raced in the 2000 Austrian Grand Prix sold for $1m in May 2012.
Another of the highlights at the Art of the Automobile sale will be a Ferrari 250 LM Berlinetta, which is expected to garner strong bids following the world record sale of a Ferrari 250 GTO in October.
View our F1 memorabilia for sale.
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